Hainault trial latest: Man Marcus Arduini Monzo is accused of attempting to murder in van attack to give evidence

Sky News

7 hours ago

Key points
What happened in court last week?
The prosecution opened its case against Marcus Arduini Monzo last week.
Here is a quick recap of what we learnt: None of the victims were known to Monzo and "it did not matter who they were or indeed how old they were", prosecutor Tom Little KC told the Old Bailey;
He told jurors that they may conclude "there can be little doubt that the defendant was intending to kill as many people as he could that day and that he is therefore just as guilty of the four charges of attempted murder as he is the charge of murder";
It is alleged that the first attack was when Monzo drove his grey Ford Transit van at speed into Donato Iwule;
Daniel Anjorin was wearing headphones and school sports clothes when he left home for school at 7am;
The schoolboy sustained a "devastating and unsurvivable chopping injury to the left hand side of his face and neck" from the sword, the prosecutor said, when Monzo attacked "like a predator" from behind;
Little described the wound as "essentially a near-decapitation";
PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield pursued the armed defendant through a series of alleyways through residential properties, the court heard;
Monzo struck her three times with the sword that had a 60cm blade;
She sustained "significant injuries" that could have "easily" killed her, the prosecutor added;
On the day of the attacks, Monzo was "intoxicated from drug use";
The defendant is said to have attacked a couple in their bedroom, after breaking into their home, with only the sound of a young girl crying stopping him from killing them, according to the prosecution;
Monzo "killed and skinned" a cat before the attacks, the court heard, and he used that same sword to kill Daniel;
Monzo denies Daniel's murder, and has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murders of Donato Iwule, Sindy Arias, Henry De Los Rios Polania and PC Yasmin Margaret Mechem-Whitfield as well as wounding Inspector Moloy Campbell with intent;
He also denies aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article relating to a kitchen knife.
We're back with our coverage
We're back with our coverage of the trial of Marcus Arduini Monzo, which is due to resume shortly.
The 37-year-old Spanish-Brazilian national, from Newham, is charged with murdering Daniel Anjorin, 14, during a 20-minute spree of attacks in Hainault, northeast London, on 30 April last year.
Monzo is accused of murder, four counts of attempted murder and one count of wounding with intent, along with one charge of aggravated burglary.
In total, he is charged with a total of 10 offences, eight of which he denies.
Today, the court will hear from Donato Iwule, who Monzo is accused of attempting to murder with his grey Ford Transit van, by driving into him at speed.
The pedestrian was knocked into a nearby garden on Laing Close and the vehicle smashed a concrete pillar and fence, the court heard last week.
The defendant then got out of his vehicle and struck Iwule in the neck with the sword, jurors were told.
Footage played to the court appeared to feature Iwule wailing and later running away after the alleged murder attempt.
Shortly afterwards, Daniel Anjorin was making his way to school when Monzo is accused of "moving quickly like a predator" towards him and fatally striking him with the sword from behind.
Recap: What we learned in nine bullet points as proceedings finish for the day
The jury has been dismissed and won't be brought back to court until Monday, when the trial resumes.
Until then, here is a quick recap of what we heard today - but be advised that some of these details are particularly distressing: The prosecution opened its case against Marcus Arduini Monzo, who they accuse of killing 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin;
On the day of the attacks - during which he's alleged to have tried to kill four others - he was "intoxicated from drug use";
But this was a "clear case of murder", said Tom Little KC, who showed the jury several videos;
One clip showed Monzo's first alleged victim hit by a van and chased by the defendant, with the man shouting "I don't know you";
Monzo then "moved quickly like a predator" to swing his sword at Daniel from behind as the boy wore headphones while walking to school;
The defendant is then said to have attacked a couple in their bedroom, after breaking into their home, with only the sound of a young girl crying stopping him from killing them, according to the prosecution;
Monzo "killed and skinned" a cat before the attacks, the court heard, and he used that same sword to almost decapitate Daniel;
He was "acutely psychotic" on the day, Little said, and "informed by delusional beliefs he and his family are in mortal danger";
A few members of the jury were "visibly distressed", the judge said, and one was swapped out of concern for their wellbeing;
The prosecution suggested the legal arguments of the trial will focus on whether or not Monzo can use the defence of diminished responsibility for his murder trial.
What is Monzo charged with?
Tom Little KC, for the prosecution, has been explaining the charges to the jury in the last few minutes.
During a plea hearing at the Old Bailey last month, Marcus Arduini Monzo pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing an offensive weapon - a katana sword and a tanto katana sword.
The 37-year-old was charged with 10 offences in total, eight of which he still denies.
This includes the murder of 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin, as well as four counts of attempted murder - of Donato Iwule, Sindy Arias, Henry De Los Rios Polania and PC Yasmin Margaret Mechem-Whitfield.
Little suggests the defence will be using the argument of diminished responsibility - which would reduce the murder offence to one of manslaughter.
"We know that the defendant killed Daniel," Little tells the jurors. He adds the defence has the burden of proof to show the jury Monzo did not mean to murder Daniel - to show them that it was more likely than not that he did not intend to commit murder.
Monzo's also charged with wounding Inspector Moloy Campbell with intent.
In addition, he's charged with, and denies, aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article relating to a kitchen knife.
Little also explained to jurors that burglary is not just the offence of someone breaking into a property to steal something - and that it can also be someone entering a home with a weapon with the intent to cause harm, as is the allegation in this case.
Monzo had 'delusional belief he and his family were in mortal danger'
Monzo's mental state and use of drugs is now the focus of the prosecution's opening.
Citing a medical review of Monzo, Tom Little KC says he was "acutely psychotic" on the day of the offences.
The attacks were "informed by delusional beliefs he and his family are in mortal danger", he adds.
He says Monzo also believed he was in a "battle" with evil forces in a time of "Armageddon" or "revelation".
Cannabis was identified in his urine and blood after the offences, Little says, and he suffered an "abnormality" in "mental functioning".
The prosecution adds he is "fit to plea", and that "defence of insanity" does not apply.
Police officer struck with 'extreme force'
Tom Little KC is now going through the injuries sustained by those who survived the attacks that day.
He highlighted PC Yasmin Margaret Mechem-Whitfield's injuries in particular, the police officer who Monzo is accused of attacking with a sword.
She sustained a six-centimetre wound to the side of her temple, a 15cm wound from her shoulder to her elbow and a six-centimetre injury on her forearm.
The blows here were of "extreme force", he says, which were "consistent with the footage" shown in court earlier.
Jury now coming back to resume hearing
Jurors have now made their way back to court, with proceedings back under way.
One juror will be excused from duty once the prosecution's opening is over, after raising concerns over the impact of distressing details on her wellbeing.
Tom Little KC, who is prosecuting, is now continuing his opening.
Court breaks for lunch
We'll bring you more updates from the trial shortly, when the jury returns and the prosecution continues making its opening argument.
Warning: Details of deadly sword attack heard in court
The jury is now hearing about the findings of the post-mortem examination on Daniel Anjorin.
Warning: This post contains some graphic details from that post-mortem report.
The post-mortem exam found Daniel, 14, suffered a "shocking injury" to the "entire left hand side of his head", the court now hears.
This was a "chopping injury", Tom Little KC says, which is distinct from a knife wound.
It happens when a blade strikes parallel to the skin, rather than across, and usually happens with a heavy weapon - heavier than a knife, Little says.
In this case, that's a sword, he adds.
Injury was 'unsurvivable'
Little already said at the very start of his opening statement that Daniel's injuries were "unsurvivable".
He repeats that again now - going into more detail, taken from the post-mortem.
The blow from the sword caused a "near-decapitation", he says, and a deep wound to Daniel's neck.
Before breaking for lunch, Little tells the jury they will not be shown the graphic injuries suffered by Daniel or any other victims.
Instead, they will be given computer-generated pictures, so they can understand the injuries.
Monzo 'killed and skinned cat' before attacks, court hears
A police officer was left bleeding from an artery in his hand, Tom Little KC says.
Another video clip played to the jury shows a man cornered between some garages, swinging his sword.
He hit Inspector Moloy Campbell with the sword, Little says, causing the injury to his hand.
Little says he must have intended to cause serious harm.
The footage also shows Campbell swing his baton towards Monzo, while other officers pepper spray the defendant.
Little then adds there was blood on Monzo's sword that did not belong to a human.
That, he says, was from the blood of a cat he killed and then skinned.